World AIDS Campaign International joined the organization of two events dedicated to World AIDS Day 2009 in Moldova as co-sponsor and co-organizer. The Red Ribbon Award and the Human Rights Film Festival took place around the date of December 1st , 2009.

For the first time in Moldova a UNAIDS initiative, the. Red Ribbon Award competition and ceremony has been organized in partnership with a range of national and international partners. AFEW Moldova, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, League of people living with HIV of Moldova, UNAIDS Moldova, UNESCO and World AIDS Campaign united their efforts to celebrate WAD and offer awards to people active in HIV/AIDS response from Moldova.

WAC joined the organization of a national competition Red Ribbon Award, launched in October 2009 and closed in November 2009. The competition was advertised on www.aids.md, www.ccm.md, www.youth.md, www.ngo.md, the population of Moldova could both vote online and through submitting votes by mail to UNAIDS office in Moldova. The contest, developed during the period of October 22-November 25, 2009, was open to all citizens of the Republic of Moldova, through nominalization of individuals or institutions/organizations both governmental and non-governmental involved in the national response to AIDS. Individual/organization which accumulated the majority of nominations was awarded. Nominations were done through www.aids.md.

On November 30th, a national ceremony took place on the occasion of WAC to give awards to winners of two national competitions – Red Ribbon Award and for Arts and Culture contribution. The ceremony gathered national stakeholders from HIV/AIDS and arts field. The awards related to arts and culture response to HIV/AIDS was offered on behalf of AFEW and UNESCO. Red Ribbon Awards were offered on behalf of UNAIDS Moldova and WAC.

The winners of the award are as it follows:

Individuals who showed involvement in the national response to HIV/AIDS and outstanding attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS

1. Best infectious doctor – Svetlana Popovici, Republican Dermato-venerological Dispensary
2. Best general practitioner – Ecaterina Rotaru, National Centre of HIV Prevention and Control
3. Best social worker – Diana Doros, Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family
4. Best priest/pastor active – Priest Octavian Mosin, Mitropoly of Moldova
5. Best activist – Alexandru Curasov, League of people living with HIV of Moldova

Organizations which are mostly involved in the national response to HIV/AIDS and demonstrate outstanding attitude toward people living with HIV/AIDS

1. Best organization/institution working in HIV prevention and communication – AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) Moldova
2. Best organization/institution working with vulnerable groups – NGO “New Life”
3. Best organization/institution providing access to care and support for people living with HIV – League of people living with HIV of Moldova
4. Best organization/institution working with young people – NGO “Youth for Right to Live”, Balti
5. Best private sector entity, which promotes and implements HIV/AIDS workplace policy – company RED Union Fenosa

Special Recognition “Red Ribbon” was awarded to Stefan Gheorghita, Primevice-director of the National Scientific-Practical Centre of Preventive Medicine, Director of the National AIDS Centre for long lasting, outstanding involvement and results achieved in area of HIV/AIDS.

Human Rights Film Festival 2009

Moldovan Institute for Human Rights (IDOM) organized a Human Rights Film Festival, 2009 edition. During seven days (3-9 December, 2009), seven movies have been screened in four cities of Moldova consecutively – Chisinau Balti, Cahul and Tiraspol (during 7-9 December, 2009). As a co-sponsor of the event, WAC joined IDOM to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and human rights.

The movies were selected as to cover the most pressing issues in the Republic of Moldova – inclusion of people with disabilities (“Diasbility”, ,,Talk”, ,,A letter for mother”); migrants’ rights (In America); the rights to not be tortured (The neighbor’s son); non-discrimination (“Hidden Sorrows”); rights of people with HIV/AIDS („Like everyone else”, „The test”, „Know everything”); justice („Death and the maiden”) and child rights („All the invisible children”).

1. HIV/AIDS and human rights issue had been raised through broadcasting three movies on the subject: “Like everyone else” movie focused on discrimination of PLHIV at employment, while requesting services at dentist etc; “The test” movie explains the process of having the test to HIV done and “Know everything” movie shows young people in the process of finding out as much information as possible about HIV/AIDS. Before the movie was broadcasted the Dance4Life team Moldova briefed the guests about HIV/AIDS and had dance4life dance showed.

This event was supported with the financial support of – Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nation Children’s Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Word Aids Campaign and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania.

Event partners were – International Organization for Migration, CRTV “MEMORIA”, The National Youth Council in Moldova, Nondiscrimination Coalition, Center for Independent Living “MOTIVATIE”, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), OSCE Mission to Moldova, Amnesty International Moldova, Ebbe Preisler (Danemark) and National Center for Human Rights; and IDOM’s team – Vanu Jereghi, Stella Cotorcea, Daniela Puica, Inga Turcan, Andrei Lungu, Alexandru Purcileanu